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Feb 13, 2012 2 min read

This week's tablehopper: XO sauce.

This week's tablehopper: XO sauce.
Negroni at aperitivo hour at Hog & Rocks. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
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Happy Valentine’s Day, darlings. Was crushed when Tony Bennett failed to drown out the weekly emergency broadcast at noon today, on the 50th anniversary of when he first sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” at the Venetian Room in the Fairmont Hotel. Our local radio stations also failed me. So thank you, internet, for ultimately giving me some lovey-dovey time with Tony, and my beloved city.

More things on my love list: the fantastico aperitivo hour on Saturday at Hog & Rocks, courtesy of Liquor.com and Campari (here’s hoping they do more), the trout with garum-brown butter at State Bird Provisions, and the family feast for my grandma’s birthday this past Sunday, which included my dad’s mushroom risotto, my mom’s marinated lamb, and my aunt’s not one but two pies for dessert: Boston cream pie (this needs to be on more menus) and lemon meringue (she’s a baking machine).

More items for the love list: on today’s segment of You Gotta Eat This on KGO Radio, I mention three places that serve delicious chicken wings (San Tung, Wing Wings, and Chubby Noodle). Have a listen.

Tonight, the city will be divided between couples paying for prix-fixe dinners at restaurants converted into two-tops or cooking at home, while singles hide or go out and drink (I think it’s a great night to go out—odds are if someone is alone at a bar tonight, they’re single, or newly single, ha ha). Hopefully everyone is eating sweets.

I will be out with some friends (and family) celebrating our annual Lonely Hearts Dinner (the name is meant to be funny) around a big table with a lazy Susan in the middle. Yup, banquet dinner time! Followed by kitschy drinks somewhere. Love it. Am also loving the fact that nopa (and Nopalito!) decided to close tonight for their annual holiday party. Bold! I was talking with chef Laurence Jossel yesterday, who said the staff is throwing a formal tonight, and he’ll be rocking a powder blue tux with a ruffled shirt. Pics were promised.

This week, the highlight for me, gleaming brightly on my calendar, is tomorrow’s Tre Bicchieri event, when Fort Mason turns into a mini Italy, packed with incredible wines and hot men in suits. What more does a girl need?

XO,

Marcia Gagliardi

Negroni at aperitivo hour at Hog & Rocks. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, Feb 14 2012

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